


We'll Make It Together

by StarcastNight



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Catra POV, F/F, This is S1 Catra so you know we got some developing to do, but not in a way that you wouldn't see in the show if that helps!, the She-Ra finale was just so perfect I just cant even fanfic about it, this is also pre-S1 Catra so you know we got a lot of developing to do, tw: Shadow Weaver being emotionally and a bit physically abusive
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-11
Updated: 2020-07-11
Packaged: 2021-03-05 06:26:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,083
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25199989
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StarcastNight/pseuds/StarcastNight
Summary: While the Horde is a terrible place to grow up, Adora and Catra still always find a friend in each other. Basically, a short story exploring Catra's POV from the beginning of the series with some Catradora moments ^_^
Relationships: Adora & Catra (She-Ra), Adora/Catra (She-Ra), catradora - Relationship
Comments: 2
Kudos: 15





	We'll Make It Together

Being a kid and growing up wasn’t easy. No one ever expected it to be. No one ever talked as if there was some secret way to take on the harder parts. It just seemed like a fact. Maybe that was because everyone had a different challenge that no one else could fully understand. Though, Catra felt especially different sometimes. _No, I’m not._ That might’ve been because she was especially weak, especially bad. _No, I am not, go away!_

She let out a bitter hiss even though no one was there. There was only one person to “talk to”. Well, for now. The green and gray hues of blank walls and mazes of shipment boxes that made up the halls of The Fright Zone were comforting because they were familiar. The whole place was hot and stuffy and had _everyone_ who was familiar too. So familiar, the ones who knew her and could be proud of her… so why did they turn on her so quickly? 

Catra held onto her ear tufts, back against a large crate she was sitting behind. Though she was barely what one would call a teenager, she had a sharp mind and she knew it. She knew that conversations were a trap, so she learned to hit and run instead to stop them. It was better if her claws were out first than Shadow Weaver’s. _Shadow Weaver_. Sometimes Catra wondered if the sorceress could hear her thoughts. So often she felt coldness travel up her back; a sense of looming. Catra wasn’t sure if her commander was really there, but she was too afraid to look out from behind the box. 

Luckily and unluckily at the same time, Catra’s ears pricked at the child’s voice echoing from the hallway. 

“Shadow Weaver!” 

_Adora._

It was a heads up, but it was one that sent the blood rushing to her ears and her heart pounding with a dizzying intensity. 

“Catra!” Shadow Weaver called cooly, the displeasure in her voice blending so effortlessly. The woman was waiting patiently just in front of Catra’s box. Adora’s footsteps caught up to Shadow Weaver, stopping just behind her. 

This moment was the worst, but it hadn’t been the first time something like this had happened. Of course, and like _some_ of the times before, Adora was here. Why did she have to be here? To see that Catra was weak, that she was bad, afraid. It seemed like the blonde girl was the only one who didn’t see her that way. And that couldn’t change, Catra didn’t want it to. Adora was all she had. Her paws were shaking though, and a split second decision had to be made. So, Catra stepped out defiantly, her head held up to look into the unreadable mask of Shadow Weaver. She needed to yell against her shaking, to put out the fire with a bigger fire. 

“What?! What do you want?!” The Beast Etherian demanded, hands balling into clawed fists. “Are you here because I did the combat exercise today? I did everything, so I have free time now! What?!” 

Shadow Weaver seemed unfazed. Catra maintained a glare, her chest heaving. But when the silence went on for too long, her ears fell back behind her bushy mane. 

“Insolent child. You stole your exercise captain’s materials and used it to injure your opponents. You broke the rules.” 

Adora took a worried, deep breath, unnoticeable to any of the other parties there. 

“Oh so it’s my fault that the captain was too stupid to hide their materials?! I made my own rules and _I won_. That’s what we were supposed to do!” Catra spat. 

A dark phantom hand misted tightly around Catra’s shoulder, the pressure feeling more and more real with every passing moment. Meanwhile the spell’s caster didn’t make a single move. She stood, composed and continued her speech, the edge in her voice growing. 

“You broke the rules. So you _failed_. Despite all my efforts trying to help you improve, you’re clearly not. You see the problem here, Catra. What do you think is a fair punishment?” 

The shadow hand stayed on her shoulder. It only caused the dizzying fear to rise in her stomach. The question wasn’t really a question, and it left her guessing. Was she going to be punished by answering to and being yelled at by Hordak? Was she going to have to spend the night in an isolating cell to think about her actions? Would it just be the promise of Shadow Weaver’s lashing out as a constant threat if she did another thing that was wrong? Catra continued glaring, daring Shadow Weaver to make up her mind, and hoping her own tremors weren’t visible. 

“It was my fault! I wasn’t watching Catra! Next time we’ll do better, I promise!” Adora burst. 

The tall, red and black figure turned away and placed her focus on the human girl. The same shadowy claws that had gripped Catra, rested on Adora’s cheek. 

“Don’t touch her!” She snapped, garnering a wide-eyed glance from both the prized trainee and the commander. 

Adora frowned as if to say, _don’t Catra!_

Shadow Weaver’s eyes narrowed behind her face covering. “What I was meaning to tell Adora, was that she shouldn’t give out her leadership like a charity. She doesn’t deserve to babysit you Catra, and you shouldn’t be dragging her down to your level of behavior as of late.” 

_No, no, no. I don’t want Adora to be my protector! She’s my friend! I want my friend and you can’t take her from me!_ Catra saw in the back of her mind, Adora getting tired of taking the brunt for her. Becoming irritated with her presence. Leaving her. 

She opened a fanged mouth to respond, but the blonde cut her off, moving herself between Catra and Shadow Weaver. “Shadow Weaver, I think we’ll really improve after we rest and try the battle simulation again tomorrow, ‘mam!” With a salute, Adora slowly took Catra’s hand in her own and led them toward their sleeping quarters. 

Catra thought that Shadow Weaver must’ve been watching them leave, but when she turned to steal a glance behind her, the woman had vanished. At that, Catra yanked her hand from Adora’s. 

“I can take care of myself, y’know!” 

“Hey! I was just trying to help you!” 

“I don’t _need_ your help!” 

“Fine! Then I’ll just go!” Adora said, exasperatedly and quickly walking away and out of sight. 

Catra opened her mouth again for a rebuttal but Adora was gone. She stood there for a moment, feeling tears rush into her eyes. Growling, she fisted them away, though they replaced themselves, so she just stood there, letting them go for a moment. She let her head hang as a wave of sadness came over her. She wanted to say that she hadn’t meant to chase Adora away. But she had. Catra wanted nothing more than to just be with Adora right now. But not like that. Not because of the situation shaped by Shadow Weaver’s design. 

Yawning, Catra felt herself come back to the present moment in fatigue. She did want to rest. She didn’t want to go back to the sleeping barracks, didn’t want to face anyone. So Catra leapt up into the rafters and went in the opposite direction. There was an overlook on top of one of the buildings that she would always race Adora up to, where they would sit and talk and watch the world. Out of the mechanical facility and up to the sky. 

As she gracefully swung her legs up and over a metal pole and onto the cliff-like platform, Catra frowned. Adora had been sitting over the edge, her pony tail swaying as she turned to look at the visitor. A twinge of sorrow came over both of their faces, but while Catra looked away, Adora reached out a hand and smiled. 

She didn’t take her friend’s hand and she didn’t return the look either. Adora’s smile faded, but was replaced with another one as she looked back out over the wasteland expanse. 

“Remember when we came up here the other day, and Kyle was over there by the A-1 building? And he saw me up here and was like--” Adora cupped her hands around her mouth. “Ahhhh! That’s a really big bird! And Lonnie was like-- That’s Adora!” 

Catra huffed in amusement. “That’s because of the hair poof, it makes you look like a bird with a beak sticking out.” 

“Hey!” Adora tossed her arm around Catra’s shoulder and pulled her over in a mock-attack. With a yelp, Catra cuffed her shoulder and the two giggled, now sitting side-by-side. 

“I meant what I said though. I don’t need help, and I came here to be alone, Adora.” Catra mumbled. 

“Okay,” Adora said “can I stay here too though?” 

“Whatever.” _And I’m not saying that because I’m weak, or because I need to be pitied._

“Are you saying that because you like me?” Adora teased. 

“No!” Her voice squeaked in a high pitch before she smugly countered. “Are you staying because _you_ like me?” 

“Well, you’re my friend. We promised we’d always be there for each other.” Adora said, looking into Catra’s bright eyes with her own blue ones as Catra had turned to face her. The look was soft, fond, and so strangely sincere. For those reasons it was startling. 

When the cat-like girl didn’t respond, Adora went on, looking back at the sunset. “I think tomorrow we can do better with the one-on-one combat if we each planned to start uphill and didn’t strike first.” 

Though Catra knew Adora didn’t mean it to be hurtful, the return to ‘improvement’ still hurt. “Tomorrow’s not important. You and I already won that fight. Just wait Adora, eventually we won’t be doing the training, we’ll be calling the shots.” 

“Yeah... I can’t wait for our first real battle.” Adora grinned. 

Adora continued. “It is getting late though, we really should get some rest for tomorrow.” 

“Pft. You do. I might stop by.” Catra said, making herself a mental note. _I’ll just come to battle training late next time, if I feel like it. Shadow Weaver just gets the general report anyways. If I’m not in it, who cares?_ Before she could stop it, she let out another big yawn.

Adora just smirked. “Oh yeah, I’m the only one.” 

“Maybe I’m just bored.” Catra said, putting her nose in the air. 

“Haha, come on!” The blonde said, getting up and climbing down over the railing. 

They walked together until they got to the door to the chambers where all the trainees were fast asleep. Adora turned to Catra, who looked deep in thought. 

“Hey… I’ve never seen where you sleep, actually.” She wondered aloud. 

“I sleep by boxes or up in the rafters.” Catra spoke casually, though she watched Adora catch her words with concern about what had happened today. It was true that boxes and rafters were also sort of Catra’s hiding places. 

“You can just sleep on my bed!” Adora said, 

“Okay--” 

“Just come see if it’s better!” She paused, not expecting Catra’s acceptance. “Oh, okay.” 

Adora walked in quietly, sitting down on a very firm mattress at the bottom of a steely bunk bed, and pulling a thin blanket over herself. Her signature red coat was already folded neatly beneath the bed. She patted the mattress as Catra wandered over and laid down on the end. Adora let out a very quiet giggle, as if she was not expecting her friend to be so… cat-like. Catra smiled and curled up, letting her tail fall around Adora’s form as the Horde trainee seemed to lay down and immediately konk out.

Shadow Weaver and the others had been pushing her hard, sure, but Adora seemed to thrive in the challenge. Even with how they obviously kept preparing her to be another soldier while Shadow Weaver seemed to see her as a stepping stool for more power. _Adora, they’ll be amazed when they see that we aren’t their pawns. We’ll take over and run things the way we want. No one will control you, you won’t be anyone’s sword and shield._ Of course, from the beginning what amazed Catra was that, the only thing Adora had seemingly ever chosen to be was her friend. That was just her Catra, since before Catra could even remember. _But don’t forget, I’m your friend too, Adora._

“Goodnight, Adora.” Catra whispered. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Please feel free to let me know what you liked & what you think could have been done better :) !


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